NASCAR will hold a street race on Naval Base Coronado in Southern California next June as a replacement for its downtown Chicago event that ran the last three years.

The move to the San Diego area does not eliminate a return to Chicago, where NASCAR will still maintain an office and effort an eventual return, perhaps as early as 2027.

But the shift next year will allow NASCAR to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy by hosting all three of its national series over a three-day weekend on June 19-21.

“As part of our nation’s 250th anniversary, we are honored for NASCAR to join the celebration as we host our first street race at a military base, Naval Base Coronado,” Ben Kennedy, executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovations officer, said Wednesday. “NASCAR San Diego Weekend will honor the Navy’s history and the men and women who serve as we take the best motorsports in the world to the streets of Naval Base Coronado.”

It will be NASCAR’s second street race in the sport’s history, following the three-year run in Chicago, and first on an active military base. The course layout is not complete but is expected to be around 3 miles.

NASCAR has seen Auto Club Speedway close after the 2023 race. It built a temporary short track inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2002 through 2024 but moved that event to North Carolina.

Kennedy, who has been bullish on new endeavors for his family business, was the brains of the races at the Coliseum, Chicago, this year’s visit to Mexico City and now next year in San Diego, a venture the Navy is excited about.

“NASCAR embodies the very best of the American spirit through speed, precision and an unyielding pursuit of excellence,” Navy Secretary John C. Phelan said. “Hosting a race aboard Naval Air Station North Island, the birthplace of naval aviation, it’s not just a historic first, it’s a powerful tribute to the values we share: grit, teamwork and love of country.

“From the flight deck to the finish line, this collaboration reflects the operational intensity and unity of purpose that define both the United States Navy and NASCAR.”

The base is known as the “West Coast Quarterdeck” and is a consortium of nine Navy installations that stretch from San Clemente Island 50 miles off the coast of Long Beach to the Mountain Warfare Training Facility 50 miles east of San Diego.

NASCAR named Amy Lupo, who has been with the series since 2021 and helped launch the Coliseum, as president of the race. She spent more than 20 years at ESPN expanding the X Games when she lived in San Diego early in her career. She still lives in Southern California.

The big breaking news story, announced Wednesday, is the NASCAR race in San Diego next year. It will replace the Chicago street race and is scheduled for Fathers’ Day weekend. Naval Air Station North Island, part of the Coronado Naval Base, will provide the venue. The course layout is still being designed. All three top NASCAR series will participate.

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Last weekend, NASCAR was at Dover’s Monster Mile. Denny Hamlin took his fourth win of the season with a last-lap hip check on teammate Chase Briscoe in double-overtime after a rain delay. It was his second Dover win in a row and 58th career victory, putting him 11th on the all-time NASCAR winners’ list. Could this finally be Denny’s championship year? He has the momentum. Chase Elliott has overtaken William Byron for the regular-season points lead, 702 to 686. Kyle Larson is third, Hamlin fourth, and Tyler Reddick, the first winless driver in Playoff contention, is fifth. With 12 drivers posting wins and five regular-season races to go, there are four spots still open in the playoff field.

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This weekend, it’s the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After racing on the Indy infield road course from 2021 to 2023, NASCAR returned to the big oval last year with Kyle Larson the winner. He is one of only three active drivers to do so. Brad Keselowski won in 2020 and Kyle Busch in 2015 and 2016. Saturday’s schedule includes Xfinity qualifying on the CW at 10 a.m., Cup qualifying on Tru at 11:35, and the Pennzoil 250 at 1:30 p.m. on the CW. Sunday’s Brickyard 400 airs on TNT and Max at 11 a.m.

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Pato O’Ward took his second NTT IndyCar win of the season last Sunday on the streets of Toronto. He benefited from a strategy error by Chip Ganassi Racing and the continuing terrible season for Team Penske. The Ganassi two-stop plan fell apart early on, and Dixon and Palou only managed 10^th– and 12^th-place finishes. Team Penske’s McLaughlin made an early pit stop but a wheel nut wasn’t fastened, and he crashed on lap 2. Josef Newgarden was taken out when Jacob Abel crashed and landed on top of him, and Will Power finished 11th. Laguna Seca is on the schedule for this weekend, with only three more races remaining. In the five races since Indy cars returned to Laguna Seca in 2019 after a 15-year absence, Colton Herta has won two, Alex Palou two, and Scott Dixon one. Saturday’s schedule calls for practice at 8:30 a.m. and qualifying at 11:30, both on FS1. Sunday’s warmup airs at 9 a.m. on FS2 with the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey at noon on FOX.

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Formula 1 is also back in action this weekend on one of the longest tracks on the schedule, Spa Francorchamps. Lewis Hamilton leads active drivers with five victories there, Max Verstappen has three, and Charles Leclerc one. Over the past 75 years, Ferrari has scored 18 wins, McLaren 14, Mercedes eight, Red Bull 6, and Williams four. These are the only active teams that have won at Spa. If you have your DVR set to record Formula 1, you can watch the Sprint race that was on ESPN at 3 a.m. Qualifying airs on ESPN2 at 7 a.m. Saturday, with the Belgian Grand Prix at 6 a.m. Sunday on ESPN.

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Finally, we bid goodbye to Rex White, NASCAR’s 1960 champion and 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee. White scored 28 wins during his career, 27 of them on short tracks. He was 95, and until his death last Friday the oldest living NASCAR champion.

HAMPTON, Va. — I caught up with Mason “Fastlane” Weakley at Langley Speedway before a race on the same track that has hosted NASCAR greats like Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jimmy Johnson. The 13-year-old Virginia Beach driver is already winning races and has his sights set on a career in NASCAR.

“I like the adrenaline rush. I like the speed. The competition’s very close. I like the whole atmosphere around the track,” said Mason.

“He eats, sleeps and breathes racing, so the passion is what makes me have the nerve to watch him week after week,” said his mom, Angela Weakley, with a smile.

Mason has been racing cars since he was 5.

“His middle name is Lane, but we call him Fastlane because he always wanted to be fast. Walking was too slow,” his mom added.

Mason started off racing go-karts and is now competing in legend cars, which are smaller-scale race cars. He is following in the footsteps of racing icon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who got his start in the legend car division.

Last year, Mason was the youngest driver in the legend class at Langley, and he won the last race of the season.

“These multi-track champions out here in their 20s and 30s—he’s racing against grown men,” said his dad, Billy Weakley, proudly.

Mason’s dad acts as his spotter.

“I’m his eyes and ears in the sky. We’re in two-way communication with the driver, telling him things like who’s around him and how clear he is behind another car,” said Billy.

This is a family effort, with twin sister Hannah helping on the sidelines.

“She’s more like emotional support. She helps with my nerves, obviously, and gives me congratulations. She’s an all-around good person to have at the track,” Mason said.

“I’m like, ‘Go, go! But be careful. Don’t do something crazy,'” said his sister.

Mason was the Young Lion Virginia State Champion last year, in the division just below semi-pro.

I wondered how he was allowed to race a car at 80 miles per hour when he doesn’t even have a driver’s license.

“I got a special racing license that comes with years of experience in go-karting and other lower divisions around these short tracks,” said Mason.

“He loves it, and it’s something we do as a family. We travel a lot. He’s stayed in more hotels on 95 than I’ve stayed in my whole life already,” his dad said.

“The next step would be full-body stock cars, running around these short tracks, and hopefully getting recognized by a big team, getting a lot of funding to make it to NASCAR,” said Mason.

Remember the name Mason “Fastlane” Weakley, as he is on the fast track to victory lane and is positively Hampton Roads.

NASCAR will take all three of its national series to San Diego next year with a street race on the Naval Base Coronado.

The inaugural event, announced on Wednesday, will take place from June 19 to 21, 2026. It will be the first time a NASCAR event has run on an active military base, the second street course event in Cup Series history, and also help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy.

The course layout will be announced at a later date.

“As part of our nation’s 250th anniversary, we are honored for NASCAR to join the celebration as we host our first street race at a military base, Naval Base Coronado,” said Ben Kennedy, EVP, Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer. “NASCAR San Diego Weekend will honor the Navy’s history and the men and women who serve as we take the best motorsports in the world to the streets of Naval Base Coronado.”

San Diego will be the final race of the five-race Prime Video window of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 2026. The Xfinity Series race will be broadcast on the CW, and the Craftsman Truck Series race will be broadcast on Fox Sports.

The event brings NASCAR back to Southern California for the first time since 2023 with a points-paying race. NASCAR last raced in the region in 2024 with the non-point Clash exhibition race at the L.A. Coliseum, which was moved to North Carolina earlier this year. Sonoma Raceway was NASCAR’s only visit to the state this year.

Naval Base Coronado has nine Navy installations that stretch from San Clemente Island (50 miles off the coast of Long Beach) to the Mountain Warfare Training Facility (50 miles east of San Diego). The base supports the Navy’s mission by providing force generation infrastructure to support U.S. warfighters, while also offering services to sailors and their families.

“NASCAR embodies the very best of the American spirit through speed, precision and an unyielding pursuit of excellence. Hosting a race aboard Naval Air Station North Island, the birthplace of naval aviation, it’s not just a historic first, it’s a powerful tribute to the values we share: grit, teamwork and love of country,” said Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan. “From the flight deck to the finish line, this collaboration reflects the operational intensity and unity of purpose that define both the United States Navy and NASCAR. We’re proud to open our gates to the American people, honor those who wear the uniform, and inspire the next generation to step forward and serve something greater than themselves.”

Amy Lupo will serve as president of the NASCAR San Diego event. Lupo, who lives in Southern California, joined NASCAR in 2021 and played a part in the launch of the Clash at the L.A. Coliseum. She previously worked for ESPN, where her resume includes roles with the X Games.

“As part of our nation’s 250th anniversary, we are honored for NASCAR to join the celebration as we host our first street race at a military base, Naval Base Coronado,” Ben Kennedy, executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovations officer, said Wednesday. “NASCAR San Diego Weekend will honor the Navy’s history and the men and women who serve as we take the best motorsports in the world to the streets of Naval Base Coronado.”

It will be NASCAR’s second street race in the sport’s history, following the three-year run in Chicago, and first on an active military base. The course layout is not complete but is expected to be around 3 miles.

NASCAR has seen Auto Club Speedway close after the 2023 race. It built a temporary short track inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2002 through 2024 but moved that event to North Carolina.

Kennedy, who has been bullish on new endeavors for his family business, was the brains of the races at the Coliseum, Chicago, this year’s visit to Mexico City and now next year in San Diego, a venture the Navy is excited about.

“NASCAR embodies the very best of the American spirit through speed, precision and an unyielding pursuit of excellence,” Navy Secretary John C. Phelan said. “Hosting a race aboard Naval Air Station North Island, the birthplace of naval aviation, it’s not just a historic first, it’s a powerful tribute to the values we share: grit, teamwork and love of country.

“From the flight deck to the finish line, this collaboration reflects the operational intensity and unity of purpose that define both the United States Navy and NASCAR.”

The base is known as the “West Coast Quarterdeck” and is a consortium of nine Navy installations that stretch from San Clemente Island 50 miles off the coast of Long Beach to the Mountain Warfare Training Facility 50 miles east of San Diego.

NASCAR named Amy Lupo, who has been with the series since 2021 and helped launch the Coliseum, as president of the race. She spent more than 20 years at ESPN expanding the X Games when she lived in San Diego early in her career. She still lives in Southern California.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing